Rats notes ‘n quotes: First time in two years

A successful second-period penalty shot by Hershey LW Charles Lingley was the first allowed by the Rats since Oct. 24, 2007, against Syracuse (Derek McKenzie on Mike Leighton). The call by referee Chris Brown against Rats D Jamie McBain seemed marginal at best. … The Rats had not allowed an opponent a penalty shot at the Times Union Center since Oct. 25, 2008, when Daniel Manzato stopped Philadelphia’s Jonathon Kalinski. Albany faced a penalty shot Sunday in its 4-1 loss at Bridgeport. Mike Murphy stopped Tomas Marcinko‘s attempt.

The Rats’ first two goals were highlight-worthy. Rookie RW Matthew Pistilli blocked a shot in the second period and skated in alone on Devan Durnyk, beating the Springfield goalie with a top-shelf backhander. C Zach Boychuk followed minutes later, taking a pass from RW Jerome Samson, faking out Springfield D Johan Motin at the blue line and snapping a shot past Durnyk. … Albany had a 102-second two-man advantage in the third period,but mounted little on the power play, although Pistilli tied the game less than two minutes after the second penalty expired.

RATS COACH JEFF DANIELS

On getting the game-tying goal in the third period: “That’s about the only good thing, we got a point tonight. We were awful.”

What specifically didn’t he like? “Everything.”

On the shot discrepancy through two periods: “It was 31-18 after two. We threw some pucks at the net (in the third period). That’s two games in a row now where the effort wasn’t there.”

On Springfield’s Chris Minard: “He’s a goal scorer. The first goal was sloppy coverage off a face-off. We didn’t stop on a puck. His other goal, a power play, we had two guys down to one guy, and he beat him to the slot.”

On Pistilli’s two goals: “He’s had some chances over the last couple of weeks. It’s good for him to get his confidence going. He came here as a goal scorer. He gets frustrated when he’s had these quality chances. Tonight he got two, so he can build off that.”

On failing to capitalize on a third-period 5-on-3: “You couldn’t any worse up to that point. They were backing into us. We were deflated to begin with.”

RATS RW MATTHEW PISTILLI

“I played a good game tonight. I got a couple of chances in the first (seven) games, and the puck wasn’t bouncing for me. Mentally it feels great (to score), but too bad it was in a losing cause.”

On his first goal: “My number one goal was to block the shot and make sure the puck wasn’t going to the net. It was a lucky bounce. It went off my foot and I went on a breakaway. I got the bounce to go for me. I did a good move and put it top shelf.”

On his second goal: “It went in off my pants. With all those bounces the first couple of games, it would have gone off the post. It feels good that I got that one.”

On what the team needs to do to turn things around: “We’ve got to put our work boots on. Maybe do simpler plays and get back to grinding it out. When things aren’t happening, the good looks and all the nice plays, you’ve just got to make simple plays.”

SPRINGFIELD COACH ROB DAUM

On whether his team should have won in regulation: “We felt that way, but they capitalized on some opportunities. Give them credit. It’s like this every night. Every team’s going to stay in the game. If you let them stay in the game, they’re going to take advantage, and they capitalized on their opportunities. I thought we deserved the two points tonight, regardless of how we got it.”

On the third-period 5-on-3 penalty kill: “It was a big kill, and then we give up the goal shortly after that. That should have been the turning point in the game. We should have been able to finish it off after that, but a turnover in our end, and a shot goes in off our own guy. Tie game again, and away we go.”

SPRINGFIELD LW CHRIS MINARD

On his early-season success: “It’s a credit to my teammates. … I played with (linemate Charles) Linglet before in the East Coast league up in Alaska, and we had some chemistry together.”

On his successful attempt in the shootout: “It was a bad shot. I guess I was lucky it went in.”

On being with the Pittsburgh Penguins when they won the Stanley Cup: “It was great. A dream come true. Everyone’s going to say that, but it’s true. Every hockey player wants to win a Stanley Cup, and that’s what happened. It would have been nice to actually be on the team and playing games, but it was a great experience overall.”